Pa Reuben Fasoranti and other Afenifere leaders yesterday endorsed the presidential ambition of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu’s ambition has caused a wedge in the long-standing relationship between two Afenifere leaders, Pa Reuben Fasoranti and Chief Ayo Adebanjo.
While Fasoranti is fully in support of Tinubu’s aspiration and prayed for his success yesterday, Adebanjo is backing presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi.
In March 2021, 96-year-old Fasoranti stepped down as National Leader of Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, citing old age. He handed over to 93-year-old Ayo Adebanjo as the Acting National Leader.
In April 2021, Fasoranti had earlier endorsed Tinubu’s presidential bid when the South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA 23), paid him a courtesy visit at his country home in Akure, Ondo State.
He had said: “Tinubu has all it takes to rule Nigeria. Considering his activities and track record, he deserves to be President, come 2023. May his prayers be answered. When he gets there, he will do all we want.”
However, Adebanjo quickly countered Fasoranti, saying his statement didn’t represent the general views of Afenifere.
Yesterday, Fasoranti and other Afenifere leaders prayed for Tinubu and endorsed his presidential bid. At the meeting, Adebanjo and those loyal to him were absent, including the Secretary-General of the association, Chief Sola Ebiseni.
Fasoranti’s support for Tinubu comes weeks after Adebanjo endorsed Obi. Explaining why he is supporting Obi for the presidency, Adebanjo said it is based on the principle of equity and federal character as enshrined in the Constitution.
“The Southwest has produced a president and currently sits as VP; the South-South has spent a total of six years in the presidency, but the Igbo people of the Southeast have never tasted presidency in Nigeria, and now that the power is due back in the South, equity demands that it be ceded to the Igbo,” he had said.
“We cannot continue to demand that the Igbo people remain in Nigeria, while we at the same time continue to brutally marginalise and exclude them from the power dynamics.”
Speaking on why he visited Fasoranti yesterday, Tinubu said he was in the Yoruba leader’s house to present his presidential action plan to him. Fasoranti urged the APC presidential flag-bearer to tackle insecurity and restructure the nation.
Speaking on behalf of the group, former Afenifere’s Secretary General, Bashorun Seinde Arogbofa, recounted that Tinubu came to seek support of the Yoruba leaders in April.
According to him, Pa Fasoranti asked Tinubu to come back for blessings after the APC primary, which he said they all watched with keen interest as Tinubu defeated all his co-aspirants.
Arogbofa reiterated on the importance of restructuring and insecurity to the development of the nation, saying those who once opposed restructuring of the country are now clamouring for it.
Leveraging the antecedents of the candidate as former governor and party leader, the Afenifere chieftain urged Tinubu to be a leader that will unite Nigeria and work for the progress and development of the country.
The former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, who decried the state of the nation’s economy, charged Tinubu to work to fix the economy.
Falae bemoaned the falling value of the naira, adding that he used all his life to serve Nigeria and at his old age he does not want all he used his life for to be wasted.
“When you become President, please work to fix this country. We are here to offer advice. I am old and no longer looking for job. We need to fix security, fix our economy. Our naira is almost becoming useless and will soon become N1,000 to a dollar.
“We must change that. I know your ability. We will always be here to support and I wish you well. We will be here when you bring the trophy home by the grace of God.”
